Knitted fabric and method of making the same



April 12, 1938. D, GUAY 2,114,021

KNITTED FABRIC AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed June 6, 1936 Patented Apr. 12, I 1

UNITED PATENT nesir Guay, Boston, Mass. a ication. June e, 1930, Serial No. sauce This invention pertains to knitted fabrics and Fig. 5lisafview similar to Fig. 1 but illustrating to a method of making the same, and relates the appearance of the'fabric when made by re-: more particularly to a fabric of anti-run type. ciprocating'knitting. for example, on a straight. Many attempts have heretofore been made to machine; and v I 5 devise a knitted fabric including stitchforma- Fig. Bis view similar to Fig.1 but illustrating- 5 tions such as to prevent or lessen the formation a further\ modification pertaining to a fabric of or extent of runs in fabric, and while fabrics ornamental character, but involving the same having these characteristicshave been produced, general principle of knitting as that illustrated j they have almost invariably been of a close heavy in the preceding figures. I 0 texture wholly unsuitable for use in hosiery and Referring to-the drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a lo the like where a sheer and highly elastic fabric piece of plain" knitted fabric such as may be knit is demanded by the' trade. Furthermore, the by hand. on hand knitting needles or: which may -methods previously resorted to in making such be knitted .upon aknitting machine comprising anti-run fabricator example the incorporation a series o'f needles to which the yarn is delivered] of so-called warp yarns or thetransferof stitches by appropriate means and which-in conjunction 16 from one needle to another, are so expensive with accessory instrumentalities draws the yam as to be of doubtful commercial value and in into stitchesto form course after course-of'knitmost cases greatly reduce the elasticity of the ting. .'In this view the body yarn i is that which material. forms the plain knitted fabric as above described.

The principal object of the present invention is While a singleyarn'l is here illustrated for simso to provide a knitted fabric of anti-run type plicity-in delineation it is to be understood that i which, in a preferred embodiment, does not diifer any number of independent strands may be assoin a marked degree either in appearance or elated in accordance withusual practice in the; elasticity from plain knitted goods such as is knitting art to take the place 01 e Single y commonly employed in the manufacture of here illustrated. 9 hosiery, etc., and which may be made at high Asis common in plain knitting, the yarn i is; speed, but-which offers substantial resistance to drawn into horizontal rows of stitches 2,' such the starting and elongation of a run when for. rows constituting courses which extend transany cause one or more of the constituent loops versely across the fabric, while; corresponding of the fabric areruptured. stitches of successive-courses form the needle. 30 7 A further object of the invention is to provide wales which extend longitudinally of the fabric. a fabric of novel and ornamental appearance For convenience in descriptio each stitch also embodying the anti-run principle. A furneedle loop 2 may bev considered as consisting of ther object of the invention isto provide a novel a bight of yarn having a closed upper end and procedure such as to produce the improved fabthe spaced upwardly divergent legs I and '5, In-

ric of the present invention. Other objects and tervening between adjacent stitches are the advantages of the invention will be made'mani-- downwardly directed bights 3 closed at their fest in the following more detailed description lower ends and which for convenience are hereand by reference to ,the accompanying drawing 'inaft'er' referred to as sinker? loops, or bights--- 40 in which corresponding sinker loops longitudinally of the 40 Fig, l is a fragmentary front view of a piece fabric constituting the sinker wales. Each sinker I of plain circular knitted fabric embodying the loop may be regarded as consisting of a bight r present 'invention, the fabric being shown to 1 closed at its lower end, as above referred to,.and large scale so as learly to illustrate the stitch having spaced downwardly divergent legs 8 and structure;- I, it being understood that the legs of a sinker Fig. 2 is a rear view of the fabric of Fig. 1; loop also, constitute legs of adjacent stitches. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view, in the nature of In accordance with the present invention there a fragmentary plan of a'row of kllltting needles' is associated with certain at least of the courses illustrating the mode of presenting the yarns in of stitches (as hereillustrated with each course position to be taken by a needle preparatory to of stitches) a locking yarn l. which in the p 59 drawing a stitch; ierred embodiment of the invention is of sub- Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but illustratstantially smaller diameter than the body yarn I. ing a modified construction resulting from the If an elasticjfabric be desired. this looking y m employment of yarns of substantially the same m y be liwtlc. f r m l a fin r be thr ad. m; v locking yarn follows a sinuous path along 5,5

- of the flrst-named course.

each course of knitted loops and in following such path it extends forwardly (Fig. ,1) through the narrow upper part of each sinker loop, thence rearwardly through the lower closed end of the sinker loop of the course above, thence at the rear face of the fabric across the needle loop, and

again forwardly through the next sinker loop In this respect the present construction is to be sharply distinguished from many prior arrangements in which locking yarns have been interwoven with the wales of a knitted fabric so as first to cross both legs of a sinker loop or stitch at one side of the fabric and then to cross both legs of the adjacent sinker loop or stitch at the other side of the fabric, it being noted that in the present instance, as above described, the locking yarn actuallypasses through the sinker loop, being wrapped around the body yarn forming the closed lower end of each sinker loop. Since the portion 8 of the yarn 8, which lies at the rear of the fabric, forms a free float and is disposed very close to the closed upper end of the stitch, and since this yarn 8 is preferably of smaller diameter than the body yarn, the completed fabric, in normal dimensions, does not differ materially in appearance from a simple plain knitted fabric, and since the locking yarn reeves freely through the sinker loops it does not substantially detract from the capacity of the fabric to stretch in any direction. Thus the resultant fabric may be of a sheer and dainty appearance, proper for use in the manufacture of hosiery or like articles, but at the same time by reason of the presence of the locking yarn, the breakage of the body yarn at any point does not necessarily result in the formation of a run of any substantial size, it being noted that each sinker loop is securely sustained by the locking yarn which passes directly through the sinker loop so that if one loop be broken the following loop is not released.

The principle of operation employed in making this novel fabric is illustrated in a diagrammatic way in Fig. 3, it being understood'that the same principle can readily be employed in using hand knitting needles, as will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Referring to Fig. 3, portions of three needles N of knitting machine type are indicated in plan, the two needles at the left of the figure having bights of the previously formed fabric at the rear sides of their shanks and new bights of the body yarn I beneath their hooks. The needle N at the right-hand side of this figure is shown as having risen to receive the body yarn I, but in so-rising it passes in front of the locking yarn 8, which is thus disposed at the rear of the needle. At the portion 3 of the body yarn, intervening between the two right-hand needles, and which will form the next sinker loop between these needles, the yarn 8 is wrapped about the yarn I. To perform this wrapping oper ation it is contemplated that the yarn B will be wound upon abobbin or shuttle of suitable type, and Just before the yarns are presented to be taken by a needle, the shuttle will be caused to revolve about the yarn I, thereby wrapping 'the yarn 8 about the yarn I,the shuttle taking up such a position at the end of the wrapping operation as to place the yarns I and 8 in widely divergent relation, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the needle N may rise between them and take the yarn I in its hook while allowing the yarn 8 to float at the rear. 'After the needle N at the right has taken the yarn I in its hook, the shuttle or bobbin carrying the yarn 8 will again complete a revolution about the yarn I so as to wrap the yarn 8 about yarn I at a point between the needle and the guide eye through which the yarn I is delivered, thus forming a new wrap of the yarn 8 about that portion of the yarn I at the right of the next needle whichwill form the next succeeding sinkerloop. This operation is continued stitch after stitch during the formation of the fabric, resulting in the production of material such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

While in preparing an anti-ravel fabric such as above described, useful for hosiery or the like, it is proposed to use a locking yarn 8 which is of small diameter, as compared with the body yarn, I have observed that ornamental effects may be produced, for example by employing a locking yarn 8 of a diameter as great or greater than that of the body yarn, and if desired of a contrasting color. Under such circumstances, as illustrated in Fig.4, wherein the body yarn I forms the stitches 2 and the sinker loops 3, the locking yarn 8 which is of a size substantially equal to that of the body yarn, will be seen to form substantially vertical runs 8 each substantially filling one of the sinker loops and thus collectively producing the efiect of a. narrow vertical stripe within the confines of the sinker wale, an effect which is both pleasing and novel. In this instance, since the locking yarn I3 is of large size, its floats which are at the back of the fabric appear conspicuously as diagonal runs extending across the stitches. v

The fabric illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is as above described, that resulting from circular knitting, but if the fabric be knitted by reciprocation, either by'hand,-qn a circular machine, or on a straight machine, an effect similar to that of Fig. 5 results. In this instance, in successive courses C, C etc. the floats 8, 8 respectively, at the rear of the fabric, slope first in one direction and then the other, but if the locking yarn be a small size as in the fabric of Figs. 1 and 2, these floats are inconspicuous and the effect at the front side of the fabric is not substantially different from that of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated a further modification wherein fabric having substantially the same capabilities, so far as anti-ravel is concerned, are obtained, but in this instance the floats which extend across the knitted stitches are disposed first at the face of the fabric and then at the rear. This effect is produced if, in stead of causing the locking yarn 8 to revolve about the body yarn continuously in the same direction, it be reversed after the formation of each stitch, '50 as to wrap about the body yarn first in one direction and then in the other. Thus, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 6, the locking yarnpasses from rear to front about the sinker bight 6, then across the front of both legs of the stitch 2*, then from the front above and to the rear of the next sinker bight 6 and thence across both legs of the next stitch 2 and thence forwardly through the following sinker bight 6 etc. Since this fabric has floats at both sides, it might not be so useful for hosiery or the like, but it is contemplated that it may have utility as an ornamental fabric or for purposes in which the presence of floats at the front side is unobjectionable.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been illustrated and described by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily to be limited to these precise embodiments, but is to be conins-l appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. A knitted fabric comprising a body yarn disposed to form needle loops and intervening sinker 4 loops, and a locking yarn so wrapped about the body yarn as at any given course to extend forwardly, between the legs of eachsinker loop at the narrow upper part of such loop, to the front side of the fabric, thence rearwardly, through the closed lower end of the corresponding sinker loop of the next course above, to the rear side of the fabric, thence at the rear side of the fabric across both legs of the next needle loop of the firstnamed course, and then forwardly, between the legs of the next sinker loop of the first-named course, to the front face of the fabric.

2. A plain knitted fabric comprising courses of stitches formed from a body yarn, and a locking yarn associated with each course of stitches, the locking yarn being wrapped completely about the body yarn once for each stitch of a given course.

3. An anti-rave! knitted fabric comprising a yarn disposed in courses of stitch loops and intervening sinker bights, and a locking yarn associated with each course, said locking yarn making a complete turn about each such portion of the body yarn as constitutes each sinker bight of a course.

4. A knitted fabric comprising a body yarn disposed to form stitches and intervening sinker bights, and a locking yarn which overlies both legs of each stitch at one face of the fabric, but

which passes from said face to the other face of the fabric between the legs of each sinker bight.

5. A plain knitted fabric comprising courses of needle and sinker loops formed from a body yarn or yarns, and a locking yarn disposed in free floats across both legs of each stitch of a course at one face of the fabric, said yarn intermediate each such float being so wrapped as to make a complete turn about that portion of the body yarn which constitutes the intervening sinker loop, the locking yarn always wrapping in the same direction about the body yarn in a given course.

6. A knitted fabric comprising courses of,

needle and sinker loops formed from a body yarn, and a locking yarn of substantially smaller diameter than the body yarn associated with certain at least of the courses of loops and which is so wrapped about the body yarn as to form a succession of complete turns about the latter, the

looking yarn associated with each course of loops being free from engagement with the locking yarn of the next course;

7. That method of knitting fabric of the class described which comprises forming needle and sinker loops from a body yarn while so associating a locking yarn of a diameter substantially smaller than that of the body yarnwith certain at least of the courses of loops of the body yarn as to cause said locking yarn to wrap and form a complete turn about the body yarn at regular intervals, the loops of body yarn being so drawn that the bights of locking yarn associated with a given course are free from engagement with the bights of locking yarn associated with the next course.

8. A knitted fabric each course of which comprises a pair of yarns one of which is knitted to form plain fabric comprising needle and sinker loops, the second yarn appearing at the front of the fabric in substantially straight runs disposed between the legs of the sinker loops of successive wales of a. given course, said runs extending in the direction of the sinker wales.

9. A knitted fabric comprising courses of loops formed from a body yarn, and a locking yarn associated with certain at least of said courses of loops, said locking yarn forming runs crossing both legs of recurrent loops at one face of the fabric and bights which are exposed at the other face of the fabric between the legs of intervening loops, the exposed portions of said bights of the locking yarn extending longitudinally of the fabric in the direction'of the needle wales.

10. A plain knitted fabric of the class described 1 comprising a body yarn disposed to form courses of stitch loops and sinker bights, and a locking yarn associated with certain courses at least, and which follows a zigzag path comprising substantially parallel inclined runs at one surface of the fabric, each such run being connected to the next by a bight which passes through the fabric and after wrapping a single sinker bight then returns to the first-named face of the fabric to join the next inclined run.

11. That method of forming a,fabric of the class described which comprises helically wrapping a locking yarn at regular intervals to form a succession of complete turns about a body yarn and drawing stitches of the body yarn to form a knitted fabric while omitting the locking yarn from such ,stitches;

12. That method of knitting a fabric of the class described which comprises drawing stitches of a body yarn to form a plain knitted fabric and prior to the formation of each such stitch causing a locking yarn so to wrap about the body yarn as to form a complete turn about that portion of the body yarn which intervenes between successive stitches.

13. That mode of knitting a fabric of the class described which comprises wrapping alocking yarn about a body yarn at regular intervals, advancing a knitting needle between the body yarn and the locking yarn which is wrapped about the latter so that the locking yarn lies at the rear of the needle, and causing the needle to draw and cast off astitch of the body yarn while the look-- ing yarn remains at the rear of the needle.

14. That method of making fabric upon a knitting machineprovided with independent needles which comprises delivering a body yarn to the needles to be taken by the latter, so manipulating the needles as to draw the body yarn into successive stitches, wrapping a locking yarn about the body yarn prior to the formation of each successive stitch and causing. each needle as it advances to pass up. between the body yarn and the locking yarn in such a way as not to include the locking yarn in drawing the stitch.

15. That method of knitting fabric of the class described upon a. knitting machine having a series of needles, which comprises as steps causing the locking yarn to wrap about the .body yarn, advancing the needle between the body yarn and the locking yarn so that the free portion of the locking yarn lies at the rear'of the needle and the free portion of the body yarn is positioned to be taken in the needle hook, drawing a stitch of the body yarn, again causing the locking yarn to wrap about the body yarn, and thereafter causing the next needle of the series to advance between the body yarn at the locking yarn so as to take and draw a stitch of the body yarn while allowing the locking yarn to float at the rear. 

